Before I met Michelle from the Art of Dog Training, my labradoodle puppy Harvey was unruly and wilful. When he didn’t get his way or wanted attention, he would growl, bite, bark and jump up on me. I still have scars on my hands and legs. I have always been consistent with Harvey and tried to set clear boundaries but he didn’t respect me, or other people. He is a very smart pup, the problem isn’t teaching him what to do, it is getting him to do it when I want him to do it.
The biggest difference Michelle has made is in my understanding of Harvey’s personality and how to communicate with him. She drew my attention to each of Harvey’s and my actions and explained what these behaviours mean in the dog world. Actions that I had not taken note of before, like Harvey resting his head on my foot, have meaning. Michelle showed me that every interaction with Harvey is an opportunity to assert my leadership. Michelle also showed me how and when to step in to stop unwanted behaviours before it got out of hand.
Michelle doesn’t just assist you with the particular concern you have raised with her. She gives you feedback on everything she observes during the training session. A few months after our first session I asked Michelle for help with managing Harvey’s behaviour when he gets picked up to go for his group walk during the day. He was jumping up on our dog walker, and jumping up on the other dogs. During this session Michelle observed that Harvey was not using his nose enough. I also learnt that Harvey was not walking nicely on lead. Whilst he was walking on a loose lead, he was sniffing the ground as he walked, a big no no!
I’ve found that the first couple of days following a training session are the most challenging. Harvey is dominant and very stubborn. He shows his displeasure at having freedoms he had previously enjoyed, such as biting his lead and my ankles, and getting off his mat whenever he wants, taken away. He threw some pretty spectacular tantrums.
Thanks to our time with Michelle, these times were not as stressful as they could have been. Michelle gave me the confidence and the tools to follow through. Once Harvey realised I wasn’t going to give in to him, the dynamic between us quickly changed and Harvey’s behaviour steadily improved.
As a result of applying what Michelle has taught me, Harvey is a calmer pup. I am now able to enjoy Harvey and enjoy training him. Harvey now goes to his mat and stays there when told, walks nicely on lead, is able to wait calmly and watch people and dogs walk past (mostly, we are still working on ignoring plastic grocery bags!). He doesn’t talk back much and when he does, his grumbles are rather half-hearted, he knows I’m the boss.
It goes without saying that you need to put in the time and effort. It is equally important to have the right tools and this is where Michelle has been extremely helpful. Thank you Michelle!